An Unlikely Trio
by akitcougar
Summary: It's been forty years since the fall of Lord Voldemort. Morgan Fair, Tamris MacLeod, and Alice "Mickey" McMillan have grown up in a time of peace and prosperity. But deep resentments still fester in the Wizarding world, and it will take everything the three of them have to save their world. Even if they can't stand each other.
1. Prologue: Moments in Time

**Prologue: Moments in Time**

"Baba Anya, will you tell me a story?" a little dark-haired girl asked in Russian. Morgan Fair had wild black hair and bright green eyes and had just lost her front tooth. She sat up on her bed, surrounded by her favorite stuffed animals, including Macbeth the cat. Macbeth was her favorite, despite being worn down to threads after years of snuggling in bed together.

The old woman on the rocking chair in the corner smiled. The little girl's Russian was getting better. "Of course I will, little Morgan," Anya said in English. "What kind of story would you like?" She calmly knit as she spoke to her seven-year-old goddaughter.

Morgan scrunched up her face, thinking. "One about your home."

Anya chuckled. "My home is here, little one."

"No, your old home," Morgan said, as if it was obvious. "Russia."

"All right then. Where should I start?"

Morgan giggled. "The beginning, of course!"

* * *

There was once a man in Russia by the name of Rasputin. Many know him, both as the wizard and as the man. He was fearsomely powerful, but he always wanted more.

He decided to sell his soul to the Devil so that he could gain more magic. His mother, She-of-the-Chicken-Legged-House herself, cautioned him against it, but Rasputin did not listen.

Using dark, dark magic, he tried to call up the Devil. First, he called up the Devil's son.

"Where is your father?" Rasputin asked the Devil's son.

"Farther down than you called, Two-Eyed Wizard. For a price, I can help you call him up, for he usually listens to me."

Rasputin agreed, and the Devil's son took his left eye. Using the power of the Devil's son, Rasputin tried to call up the Devil again.

This time, he reached the Devil's grandfather.

"Where is your grandson?" Rasputin asked the Devil's grandfather.

"Farther down than you called, One-Eyed Wizard. For a price, I can help you call him, for he will always listen to me."

Rasputin agreed, and the Devil's grandfather took his right eye. Using the power of the Devil's grandfather and son, Rasputin tried to call up the Devil once again.

This time, he succeeded. The Devil was impressed by Rasputin's stubbornness, and he agreed to give the wizard a great, dark power. The Devil said he would take his price later, and he disappeared back into the ground with his son and grandfather.

Now, this power that Rasputin got was the power to make others do his bidding. Very soon, he became the most powerful man in magical Russia.

* * *

"Why would he do that, Baba Anya?"

"You see, little one, even though Rasputin was a dark wizard, he was a good man who wanted to do great things. This was the only way he thought he could do those great things."

"Oh…" Morgan said, thinking. Her nose wrinkled in a frown. "But what if it wasn't the only way?"

Anya laughed. "But that's not how the story goes, little one."

"Then how does it go?"

* * *

Even Rasputin's own mother, She-of-the-Chicken-Legged-House, was impressed. She even fashioned a magical eye for her son so that he could see again.

Everyone in Mother Russia was under Rasputin's spell. Everyone, except the beautiful Czarina.

The Czarina had a husband, four lovely daughters, and a very sick son. She worried for her son night and day, and thus was not under Rasputin's spell.

Rasputin decided that this should not be so, and he made his way to the Russian court. He befriended the Czarina and her husband and started to charm them with his magic.

But he soon fell in love with the Czarina, and she him. They secretly had a daughter together.

Many men were jealous of Rasputin's power, and they tried to take it for themselves. Three times they tried, and three times they failed. After the third time, Rasputin took his daughter and escaped from the jealous men, even though he had to leave his beloved Czarina behind.

Rasputin and his daughter fled over the mountains, under the lakes, and across the icy tundra before they found themselves in the magical land where Rasputin came from.

She-of-the-Chicken-Legged-House brought her house to Rasputin and his daughter and welcomed them back into her home.

One day, Rasputin was out in his mother's forest, looking for some herbs for She-of-the-Chicken-Legged-House. On this day, the Devil decided to take his pay.

The Devil appeared to Rasputin and made another deal. The Devil asked for Rasputin's daughter as the price for Rasputin's magic. Rasputin refused and instead offered himself, for he loved his little daughter.

The Devil agreed, for he knew that Rasputin would give himself up for his daughter, and Rasputin was the better prize. He took Rasputin down below, and they disappeared from this world forever.

Rasputin's daughter was left alone with She-of-the-Chicken-Legged-House, who raised her like she raised Rasputin.

When Rasputin's daughter came of age, She-of-the-Chicken-Legged-House offered her a choice. She could stay in the magic forest forever and become as powerful as her grandmother, or she could go see the world, even though she would lose her magic.

* * *

Baba Anya sat back in her rocking chair as Morgan stared, wide eyed. It was a new story for Morgan, one that Anya hadn't told in many, many years. She'd only heard it when she was a young girl, and she made up much of the story for Morgan.

Morgan's face scrunched up again in confusion when she realized the story didn't really have an ending. "What did Rasputin's daughter choose, Baba Anya?"

Anya smiled at her goddaughter, her eyes twinkling. "How do you want it to end, little one?"

* * *

"Hey, Mum? I got a weird letter in the mail! Say's I'm invited to some school for witches and wizards!"

* * *

"Interesting. I haven't had a head this interesting to sort in years," the Hat's voice said in Morgan's head.

'Hope it's not a problem,' Morgan thought at the Hat.

"Not at all. It makes the job interesting. I have been doing the same thing for a thousand years now."

Morgan laughed a little. She'd sat under the Hat for a few minutes now, longer than any other first years so far.

"Well, you have the brains for Ravenclaw, but you also have the drive to use your knowledge. How Slytherin. The bravery for Gryffindor is there as well, but you'd rather think of yourself first, then others. Obviously not a Hufflepuff. In that case, I have no choice but to put you in…"

"SLYTHERIN!" the Hat shouted out.

"Good luck in there. You'll need it," the Hat thought to her one last time as Professor Llewyn took it off her head.

Morgan walked over to her new table, slightly nervous but brimming with excitement.

* * *

"All right you lot, you'll go through our usual initiation ceremony, and then you'll be full members of Slytherin House. I'm Taggert McTaggert, your seventh year prefect. Ophelia over there is Head Girl this year, and she's got more important things to deal with than your pathetic problems."

The seventh year prefect for Slytherin was big and bulky. Morgan's first friend at Hogwarts, Evera, said that he was a beater for the Quidditch team. Morgan just nodded, as if she had any idea what Quidditch was.

"'Phelia, can you bring over the box?"

"Fine," the Head Girl said, pulling out a box.

"You'll each pull out a stone snake from this box. The color of the gem it holds in its mouth is the same color as the stone over your room. If you freak out, you're not a real Slytherin."

She held out the box to a boy at the start of the line of first-years. He reached inside and shrieked like a little girl.

"Oh, did we mention that they're enchanted snakes?"

Morgan glanced at Evera, who glanced back at her. The box came around to the two of them, and they both reached in at the same time.

Their snakes matched, and Morgan grinned. They held onto their snakes until Ophelia brought the box back around.

"Nice to know there are two first-years who aren't complete pansies," Ophelia said as she passed the two of them, smirking.

* * *

"What do you mean you're a Mudblood, Morgan!" Evera shouted. It was Halloween. Morgan had pretended that she knew what she was doing this far, and her grades said the same thing.

"Mudblood?"

"Muggleborn! You didn't tell me!"

Morgan shrugged. "I didn't think it was that important. My Baba says that it's not who your parents are, but what you with yourself do that's important."

"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me, Morgan?" Evera said in disbelief.

"Oi, you two, shut your mouths!" Taggert yelled at them from across the common room. "I can hear you screeching like banshees."

"Morgan's a Muggleborn!" Evera yelled back.

The entire common room stopped and stared at Morgan.

"Um… oops?"

* * *

"Are you sure you wish to change Houses, Miss Fair?" Professor Llewyn asked her once again. "I'll only allow you to change Houses once."

Professor Vex laughed. "I'd like to keep her, because she's the best hexer I've seen among the firsties. Did you see what she landed McTaggert in the hospital wing with?"

The deputy headmistress glared at the head of Slytherin house. "That's what I want to prevent, Gallus. Now, Morgan-"

"I'm sure," Morgan said.

"Perhaps Hufflepuff will accept you more."

* * *

"Traitor."

"You didn't exactly make Slytherin welcoming for me."

"Shove it, Fair."

"Up yours, Nott."

* * *

"Hey, Mum, can you tell me who my dad is?"

"Maybe next year, Morgan."

"That's what you always say."

* * *

"That is one ugly cat," Evera drawled, looking down at the stray that had somehow wandered into Hogwarts.

Morgan bent down to pick up the black cat. "He's not that bad."

The cat was missing an ear and an eye, and the rest of his body was covered in scars from fights. He was clearly thin and probably had fleas.

"Of course a Mudblood like you would like a mangy mutt like that, Fair."

"The term 'mutt' is for dogs like you, Nott." She walked away, the cat in her arms. Pausing for a moment, she turned around.

"And his name is Macbeth."

"Shove it, Fair," Evera snapped back.

"Up yours, Nott," Morgan snarled in reply.

* * *

"Is that kid in a wheelchair?"

"He better not get sorted into Slytherin. He'll be eaten alive."

"Does that wheelchair have legs?"

"I think those are paws…"

"SLYTHERIN!"

* * *

"What's a pathetic wimp like you doing out here for Quidditch tryouts, MacLeod?"

"Ah play Keeper. Kellis is gone. Why not?"

"I don't want a guy who's scared of owls on the team."

"An' Ah daenae care, Juno."

* * *

"You better not fuck this game up, MacLeod."

"Ah think yer lousy Chaser skills'll do us in."

* * *

"Fuck off MacLeod. You cost us the game."

"They didnae bloody score! The bloody Quaffle ne'er passed me!"

"You distracted Young when the Snitch was right under his nose!"

"Not mah fault tha' yeh didnae score a point! Gettin' points is yer job!"

"It's still your fault, you owl-phobic freak!"

* * *

"Your OWLS came back, Morgan. O's in Defense, Charms, and Transfiguration. EE's in Herbology, Potions, and Muggle Studies. T in Divination. Mind explaining to your Muggle mum what these grades mean?"

"Means I should probably go with the Auror route once I graduate. And Trelawney is a horrible teacher."

* * *

"Naeh bad grades, Tam, boot yeh didnae get a good one in Defense."

"Ah kno, Logan. I waern't plannin' on bein' an Auror."

"Yeah, boot Da'll nevar let yeh help 'im."

"Nae sure if Ah care any more, Logan," Tamris MacLeod said, absentmindedly petting his dog on the head.

His older brother grabbed his shirt and yanked him close. "Yeah, yeh care, Tamris. Yeh better care, laddie. Or Da'll hear from me."

* * *

"The professors have reviewed your evaluations, Alice. You'll be allowed-"

"Mickey, please."

"Mickey. You'll be allowed to take NEWT level Charms, Potions, and Herbology. You'll have to remain in second year levels for everything else."

"I believe that's suitable for my range of talents, Headmaster. If you'll excuse me, Professor Nikolayevich asked for my assistance in setting up for his classes next year."

"You can call him your father when you're not around other students, Alice."

The boy in the wheelchair stared at the Headmaster. "Fathers raise children, Professor Carmichael. He sired me, nothing more."

* * *

"Reynard, how soon can we start with the plans? I'm growing impatient here."

The blond man rolled his eyes. "I've told you, sir. They'll start when they start, which is soon enough."

"I hate waiting."

"That's the Gryffindor inside you, sir."

"Fuck Hogwarts Houses. They're a stupid, outdated system of sorting one type of puke from other types of pukes."

"Sir, Hogwarts is a well-respected establishment. You and I both received excellent educations there, as did most of our men." The blond clenched his jaw to prevent himself from rolling his eyes once again.

"I still hate the system."

"Well, that's why we're working to change it."

The black-haired man sighed. "I suppose you're right, Reynard."

The blond looked down at his papers for a moment. "If it makes you feel better, we have influences high up in every Ministry department, and we even have the Senior Undersecretary working for us willingly."

"Hogwarts is the true goal. Remember that, Reynard."

"Well, it should please you then that I'm now the Charms professor there until Flitwick returns from his… 'sabbatical.'"

The black-haired man grinned. "That pleases me greatly, Reynard."


	2. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**Chapter One: Beginnings**

"Mum, could you stop embarrassing me?" Morgan said as she was enveloped by a hug from her mother.

"Oh, stop it, Morgan. I don't see you all year. I've earned this hug," Tris Fair smirked. The aging actress looked a lot like her daughter, save for her light brown hair and brown eyes.

Morgan rolled her eyes, but she smiled and hugged back. "I'm gonna miss you and Baba."

"And we're going to miss you. What are you going to want for Christmas this year?"

Morgan bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "Maybe you could tell me about my father?"

Tris broke the hug. "Not yet, Morgan."

"Mum, it's not as if I'm going to go looking for him. I just want to know where I came from."

"It's about that Pureblood girl again, isn't it."

Morgan blinked. "Not entirely."

Tris sighed. "Sorry, Morgan. Maybe next year."

Morgan shook her head, smiling sadly in acceptance. "You always say that," she said as she turned to board the train, picking up Macbeth's cat carrier. "Do svidaniya!"

"Do svidaniya, Morgan!"

Morgan walked onto the train, looking for an empty booth. She wanted to avoid pretty much every other student for as long as possible.

"Oi! Fair!"

Morgan flinched, and Macbeth hissed. "Bugger off, Nott!" she called back, turning to face her friend-turned-enemy. Her free hand fell to her wand stashed in her back pocket.

"I'd rather not," Evera Nott drawled. The Slytherin prefect wore her badge proudly over her expensive robes. She looked absolutely perfect, with not a single blonde lock out of place.

Morgan's wild black hair, on the other hand, was escaping from its braid. She still wore her Muggle t-shirt and jeans, planning to change on the train.

"What are you bothering me for?"

Evera smirked. "Just asking how your summer went."

"I doubt that. Your intentions are never that bland. Again, bugger off."

"Shove it, Fair," Evera said, turning around.

"Up yours, Nott," Morgan replied. They'd settled into a neutral state a while ago, mostly trading insults. The only times they dueled were during class and dueling club. Morgan held the school title, while Evera was the club captain.

Even with the unspoken truce, Morgan always felt the urge to punch Evera in her perfect little Pureblood nose every time they spoke. Morgan sighed.

Finally finding an empty booth, Morgan settled in, opening up Macbeth's carrier. The wiry, scarred black cat climbed up to the luggage rack, lying down to keep an eye on the door.

Morgan sat on the bench, stretching her legs and pulling a book out of her bag. One of her favorite Shakespeare plays, "The Merchant of Venice."

She sighed and turned to the first page.

* * *

Alice wheeled through the disguised gateway to platform 9 ¾. Even though he could just meet the train at Hogwarts, Professor Vex insisted that the train was part of the experience, and Professor Nikolayevich didn't say a word one way or the other. Alice had also missed it last year, since he came a few weeks late. And so, Alice was wheeling towards the train, although his belongings were in his dorm room already.

Fighting his way through the crowd and not being allowed to transform Bojana was frustrating, and he had to gently nudge several people out of the way with his wheelchair. Bojana, by the end of it, was squeaking furiously.

"I know, I know girl," he murmured to his equally frustrated wheelchair.

There was the train, and it was three inches above the ground. Bojana squealed because she knew she couldn't transform until they got to Hogwarts.

Alice sat there in front of the entrance for a few moments before someone asked him, "You need some help?"

"If you would be so kind," Alice replied through gritted teeth, turning to the voice. The blond man in front of him was tall, handsome, and everything Alice would likely never be. He was also far too young to have a student on the train.

The man grinned at the unspoken question. "I'm Professor LaChance, Flitwick's substitute," he explained as he levitated Alice and his wheelchair through the door onto the Hogwarts Express. "I unfortunately didn't have an alternate transportation method prepared in time for the year to start, and so I have to take the train like every student. Or, perhaps, that was fortunate for you."

"I am Mickey McMillan," Alice replied, using his preferred name.

"Yes, I know. You're in my sixth year class, according to Carmichael. Well, I think I'll be in the carriage up front. Take care, Alice," LaChance said, walking away.

Alice stared for a moment before shaking his head. "Come on, Bojana. Let's go find some place quiet."

Morgan glanced up from her play as the door opened. Some kid rolled into her booth on a wheelchair before stopping.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't see that this one was occupied."

"It's fine," Morgan replied. "I'm not doing much."

She gave the boy a once-over, noting the Slytherin uniform. "And, besides, Evera won't bother you when I'm around."

The boy frowned. "How did you know?"

"I know Evera. She taunts everyone she perceives to be weaker. I happened to be one of those people once she found out that I'm a Mudblood," Morgan shrugged. "It was a pretty logical guess."

The boy smirked a little. "Well, she's found some of her homework to be complete and utter gibberish after very long nights of writing up essays."

Morgan grinned. "I think I like you already, kid." She held out her hand. "Morgan."

The boy shook it. "Mickey."

* * *

Logan MacLeod stood near the train with a large snowy owl on his left shoulder. His younger brother, Tamris, stood as far to the right as possible without seeming to avoid the owl.

"Ah'll see yeh at the Solstice, yeah?" Logan asked, in a tone that said he didn't expect another answer.

"Yeah, yeah, Logan. Ah'll see you then. Shuck, heel!" Tam said, walking onto the train as fast as possible. His mutt was close on his heels.

As he and Shuck stepped inside, the doors of the train closed behind him. He leaned against them and sighed in relief.

"C'mon, Shuck. Let's find a compartment. Prefaerably empty," he said quietly to his dog. Shuck woofed quietly, and his tongue lolled as he grinned.

They walked down the corridor as the train started to move and pick up speed. He ducked around several people carrying their owls, but he didn't need to stop near them for long.

A cute blonde Slytherin, that Evera Nott, walked past him, and he turned around to watch her go. Best thing was, she had a white cat and no owl. He had a goofy grin on his face.

"Oh, look what the owl dragged in," a dry, drawling voice said.

Tam whirled around, startled. Shuck started to growl. "Oh, hullo, Juno."

The lanky Asian girl with long black hair and dark eyes leaned against the wall of the train, with several other sixth- and seventh-year Gryffindors behind her.

Juno Suhmun smirked. "That's Head Girl to you, MacLeod."

Tam glanced at the badge on her school uniform. "Yeah, so, Ah'm jus' gonna avoid you 'cept on the Quidditch pitch. Deal?"

"Hmn," Juno hummed, pretending to think it over. "How about no?"

Tam sighed. "Ah figured." He put a hand on Shuck's head, expanding his senses through Shuck's. He felt every shadow in the train car, and he could manipulate them the same way his dog could.

The train, as it always did, jerked to a start, and Juno fell over her own foot. Tam took his hand off Shuck. He'd stayed standing perfectly still.

"See you around then, Juno. Heel, Shuck."

* * *

The door opened again.

"For the love of Shakespeare, what the hell is it now?" Morgan grumbled. Two was company, three was a crowd, and there were a lot of people Morgan didn't want in her compartment. Mickey was fine. He just sat on his seat and read some book on charms.

Fortunately, it was just a Gryffindor. Morgan went back to reading.

"Ahm, you all mind if Ah have a seat haer?"

Morgan shrugged. "Sure. Go ahead."

The Gryffindor sat down. "Thanks. Ah'm Tam MacLeod."

Morgan glanced up. "Morgan. He's Mickey."

A large black dog trotted into the compartment, tongue lolling.

Macbeth, from his perch on the luggage rack, hissed at the intruder. Mickey went pale-faced and unresponsive.

Tam and Morgan glanced between the dog, Mickey, and the cat for a few tense moments.

"MacLeod, you might want to get your dog out of here."

"Ah was thinkin' the same. Shuck, shadow."

The dog's ears perked. He gave a quiet bark and melted into Tam's shadow.

Morgan and Mickey stared.

"The hell is that dog?" Morgan asked.

Tam grinned, sheepish. "He's just Shuck."

"A Black Shuck?" Mickey asked, curious now that the dog was out of the room or, at least, out of sight.

"Naeh. Black Shucks are ghostlier."

Morgan narrowed her eyes. She would find out eventually what that dog was. "Whatever." She went back to reading her play.

Mickey looked down at his book and tried to read, his fingers nervously tapping on the book cover, wondering when that dog would show up again.

Tam just sat there awkwardly for the rest of the train trip.

* * *

The three of them split away from each other after the train. Morgan left Tam and Mickey behind as she got into a carriage with other Hufflepuffs who tolerated her.

Mickey's wheelchair was no longer a chair. As soon as Tam and Mickey got onto Hogwarts grounds, the chair transfigured its wheels into dog legs.

Tam gave a low whistle to his dog. Shuck popped out of Tam's shadow, his usual grin on his face.

"Shuck, go on up tae mah dorm. Make sure Juno's boys daenae touch anythin'," Tam said, giving his dog a scratch on the head.

Shuck barked and melted back into shadow, although Tam could feel that he left the area.

Tam walked up to the last carriage, and Mickey's wheelchair followed. The skeletal horses that pulled the carriage snorted as Tam approached them.

"Hush now, laddies," the Scottish boy murmured, pulling out a few pieces of jerky from his pocket and held it out to the thestrals. "Haer yeh go, laddies."

The left one snuffled at Tam's hand and took the proffered meat. The right one nuzzled against Tam's head before taking his meat.

Tam smiled and looked over to the door of the carriage. Mickey was having trouble getting his wheelchair up into it.

"Wan' some help, laddie?" Tam asked.

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Naeh at all!" Tam grinned, squatting down and picking up the wheelchair and placing it into the carriage.

"I meant by levitating, but I supposed that works."

Tam shrugged. "Ah'm nae good at most magics, but Ah'm pretty strong. Ah'm better with Potions and beasties."

Mickey laughed nervously. "So am I. The Potions part, anyway. I'm in a few NEWT levels, mostly for Herbology and Potions. We should probably get up to the castle now."

Tam nodded and jumped into the carriage, taking a seat. "Let's get goin', laddies!" he shouted to the thestrals, who started to pull the carriage.

"What's pulling us?" Mickey cried, alarmed.

"Thestrals, a'course!"

* * *

Morgan walked into the Great Hall in the wave of students going back in. She glanced up at the high table, noticing a few new teachers. The old professors had retired, and not many were sad to see them gone. Professor Flitwick, however, was noticeably absent. Morgan had liked the short Charms professor, and he'd never seemed like the retiring sort.

Morgan shrugged and went to take her spot at Hufflepuff's table. A hand grabbing on her shoulder stopped her, and she spun, wand falling into her hand.

"What do you want, Nott?" Morgan growled as she saw the hand's owner.

The blonde Slytherin prefect smirked in response. "Those shoes aren't school regulation. Ten points from Hufflepuff."

"Bullshit. School hasn't even started. It doesn't start until Carmichael's speech."

"Twenty points. Don't disrespect the Headmaster, Fair."

Morgan glared. "The hell is this for, Nott? Finally found your spine?"

Evera glowered. "Insulting a prefect. Fi-"

"Don't even bother," Morgan said, rolling her eyes. "You know I've never cared about House points." She turned and walked towards her table.

Her foot caught on a stone, and she tripped and fell, rolling to the side. She saw Evera put her wand away, sneering at Morgan.

"That's it," Morgan growled, flinging a Stinging Jinx at Evera. The Slytherin blocked it with a shield charm.

They traded hexes and jinxes for a few moments, the whole school's eyes on them. They weren't the best duelists in the school for nothing.

Morgan's hair escaped its braid as she sent hex after hex at the blonde, who blocked most of them with the correct counterhexes.

Evera started to make several complex wand gestures. "_Serpensortia!_" she called, summoning a king cobra.

"How appropriate," Morgan murmured as she sent a banishing charm to the cobra. Immediately after, she punched her wand hand towards Evera. "_PROTEGO MAXIMUS!_" she shouted, and a blinding wall of solid magical energy rushed towards Evera, knocking her against a wall.

Evera couldn't pass another spell through Morgan's shield, not without resorting to Unforgivables. "Shove it, Fair," she said, all the usual venom in place.

"Up yours, Nott."

There was a moment of silence, and then, from behind the two, someone started clapping.

Morgan saw who it was and groaned. Brushing her stray hair out of her face, Morgan said, "Professor, I can explain."

"No need," Professor Longbottom said. His hair was greying, his eyes old and tired, but everyone knew the stories of the leader of Dumbledore's Army. "I saw it all. A week of detention, the both of you, starting tomorrow," he said to both Morgan and Evera.

Walking back towards the staff table, he also added, "Impressive dueling, girls."

With that, all the students started talking. The roar of whispers around them prevented any more fights from breaking out, and the two girls slunk back to their respective tables.

When Morgan's Housemates looked at her, questions clear in their eyes, she simply said, "She tripped me."

* * *

Tam ran into the Great Hall, just barely on time. Alice followed closely behind, Bojana the wheelchair bounding in on all four legs. They gave each other a look.

Tam broke into a grin. "See you in class, Mickey!" he said as he jogged over to the Gryffindor table, sitting right on the end of it at the spot Juno had designated for him.

Alice sighed. He had, against all odds and all unwillingness, made a friend of sorts. A friend with a terrifying black dog. Bojana walked him over to the Slytherin table, where he sat with the other second years. He glanced at the staff table and caught Professor Nikolayevich's eye.

They both stared for a moment before giving each other a brief nod of greeting. Afterwards, Alice pointedly ignored the Potions professor.

Once Alice rolled into his spot at the Slytherin table, Deputy Headmaster Llewyn started the Sorting ceremony. Fourteen Slytherins, fifteen Gryffindors, fourteen Ravenclaws, and sixteen Hufflepuffs this year. There was no one from any interesting families and no one who took exceptionally long, so everyone considered it just an average year.

After the Sorting, Headmaster Carmichael stood up. He cleared his throat several times before starting the usual welcome speech. Many students who'd sat through it more than once took the opportunity to nap or chat with friends.

Alice paid the Headmaster some attention. Due to his circumstances, he hadn't actually heard the Headmaster's speech last year.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To you returning students, welcome back. As some of you have probably noticed, we have a few new teachers this year. Professor Alakana Singh, a cursebreaker from Dubai-"

"New Delhi, sir," the Indian professor murmured. Alice had seen him around Hogwarts over the summer, and he was curious to find out what class Singh would teach. Professor Nikolayevich had been decidedly unhelpful in that regard. "They're in vastly different countries." His comment, although blandly stated, was heard throughout the entire Great Hall.

"Right, as I was saying, Professor Singh will fill the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He is well qualified and will provide you a very good education in defense."

Carmichael gestured to the other new Professor. "As Professor Flitwick decided to take a sabbatical this year, we have Professor Reynardine LaChance, a Charms master who researches in London."

The friendly blond man from the train smiled and waved to the students. Several girls immediately formed obvious crushes, to Mickey's annoyed disgust. None of them were thinking logically.

Fully turning back to the bored student body, Carmichael droned on. "As a reminder, the Forbidden Forest is, as always, forbidden. Students caught there who do no belong there will be given detention, if not outright expulsion. Any products from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes are also forbidden. Professor Weasley has asked that students don't bother the magical beasts he researches and that students control their pets around the smaller magical beasts. There is no dueling in the halls, unless instructed by a teacher or part of dueling club, in which case signs are to be erected at the ends of the halls to warn other students. Any students who wish to form a new club need to find a sponsor and file a formal request. Any students caught in a 'club' that is unsponsored and unsanctioned will be suspended until further notice."

The Headmaster seemed to finally notice the sleeping student body. "With that, let the feast begin."

Everyone dug into the food that appeared. Alice grabbed what he could reach that looked appealing.

"God, Professor Carmichael is a drag," one of the other Slytherins said.

"My father says-" a third year girl started to say.

"Shut it, Malfoy. No one cares what your father says."

Saggitaria Malfoy simmered, but she remained silent. The Malfoys, although financially powerful, were not exactly popular among other Slytherins. They had no social standing of any importance since the Second Voldemort War.

Then again, Slytherins didn't like anyone who didn't have a certain level of power and ideology. It was something Alice had noticed last year.  
Alice, as the quietest person in his year, was usually ignored, and that's what he preferred, thank you very much.

* * *

Tam scarfed down some food quickly, and then he excused himself from Gryffindor table.

He walked through the halls of the school silently, even though everyone else was at the feast. Tam sent out a tendril of thought towards his dog. Shuck 'heard' him and understood what Tam asked.

He stood in front of the Fat Lady as she swung outward, opened from the inside. "Thanks, Shuck," he grinned.

The dog gave a light woof as his tail wagged. Tam went up to his dorm room, set up the protective wards his mum had taught him several summers ago, and went to bed early, hoping to avoid Juno's boys.

* * *

Morgan stood up and cracked her back as the rest of her House started to walk towards their kitchen dormitory.

She felt eyes on the back of her head, and she spun around. Her gaze met that of the new Charms professor, LaChance. They stared at each other for a few moments before LaChance went back to talking with Professor Nikolayevich.

She shuddered involuntarily before following her House down to their rooms.


End file.
